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The Citi / AAdvantage World Elite MasterCard is perfect for anyone who flies on American Airlines.
To start with, you’ll get a 50,000
miles sign-up bonus worth at least $450 in American Airlines flights.
And since the annual fee is waived for the first year, that’s essentially free money.

One of most valuable perks that this card offers, though, is its generous free checked bag benefit. You
and up to four other people on your reservation receive one free bag each. You’d normally pay $50 per
bag for a round-trip flight, so the savings can add up quickly.

You’ll also get access to American’s Reduced Mileage Awards, which offer up to a 7,500 miles
discount on select routes.

If you fly on American with any regularity, or even if you’re just planning a big trip, this card can
save you a lot of money and miles.

American Airline Card: Bonuses & Benefits

Knowing what benefits come with a credit card can help you decide if it’s a good fit for you. Here we cover the bonuses and perks that the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ MasterCard® offers and the value of the Citi AAdvantage® miles you earn.

Bonuses

The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite MasterCard comes with at least a
50,000-mile sign-up bonus that
sometimes increases during special promotions. You have to spend
$2,500 in the first three months
to get the miles.

A unique perk available to every AAdvantage credit card holder is Reduced Mileage Awards for flights in
the U.S. and Canada. You can save from 1,000 to 7,500 miles per round-trip flight.

What You Get

Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $2,500 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening

Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations

Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at restaurants

Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases

Earn a $100 American Airlines Flight Discount after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases during your cardmembership year and renew your card

No Foreign Transaction Fees

First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to four companions traveling with you on the same reservation

Enjoy preferred boarding on American Airlines flights

Receive 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases when you use your card on American Airlines flights

AAdvantage miles expire after 18 months if there is no account activity. Thankfully, anything that adds or
subtracts any amount miles counts. So miles will never expire if cardholders make just one purchase every year
and a half.

What is the value of the AAdvantage® Miles?

The value of AAdvantage miles will differ depending on many factors, but most importantly where you live.

If you live in a hub where American Airlines has little to no competition, the cash cost of your ticket
to a popular destination will likely be on the higher side. That will increase the value of your miles,
provided you can find MileSaaver level awards.

On the other hand, paying 25,000 miles, which is the regular price for a domestic roundtrip award flight,
for a ticket that costs $150 would yield a very low value.

In short, if you are patient and carefully plan out your redemptions, you can get really good value for
your AAdvantage miles. But not all award flights are a great deal. In general, business class seats will
give you more value per mile than economy.

Sign-up Bonus

Flight Type

Average CPM

RE® VALUE

50,000

miles

Economy · Domestic

1.56cpm

$780

Business · Domestic

1.75cpm

$875

Economy · International

1.70cpm

$850

Business · International

4.46cpm

$2,230

What is CPM and How Is It Calculated?

Cents Per Mile (CPM) is a way to measure the value of miles.
It tells you how many cents you get for each mile you redeem by dividing
the cash price of the airline ticket (minus taxes and fees charged for an award ticket)
by the number of miles the award flight costs. This is a somewhat subjective calculation because
the price of the flight in both cash and miles fluctuates by season and availability.

The Best Ways to Redeem Aadvantage Miles

The AAdvantage is a region-based frequent flyer program that’s been around for over 35 years.
Despite the program’s 2016 devaluation, there are still some sweet spots in American Airlines’s
award charts.

The great deal American offers are its off-peak redemptions. If you can fly during the off-peak
dates designated by the airline, you can save 15,000 miles per roundtrip to Europe and 5,000 miles
roundtrip to other destinations. The off-peak costs per one-way economy flight from the U.S. to:

The Caribbean, Mexico and Central America: 12,500 miles

China and Hong Kong: 32,500 miles

Europe: 22,500 miles

Japan and Korea: 32,500 miles

Hawaii: 20,000 miles

South America: 17,500 miles

The Best Way to Redeem Rewards for Travel in

Economy Class

Roundtrip Domestic

Seattle–Honolulu

Economy class

Miles price

40,000miles

+$11.2 fee

Dollars price

$888

2.19cpm

Excellent Value

New York–Pittsburg

Economy class

Miles price

7,500miles

+$11.2 fee

Dollars price

$241

3.06cpm

Excellent Value

Oakland–Los Angeles

Economy class

Miles price

7,500miles

+$11.2 fee

Dollars price

$445

5.78cpm

Excellent Value

Roundtrip International

San Francisco–Hong Kong

Economy class

Miles price

35,000miles

+$80.6 fee

Dollars price

$1,108

2.94cpm

Excellent Value

New York–Paris

Economy class

Miles price

30,000miles

+$80.6 fee

Dollars price

$1,098

3.39cpm

Excellent Value

Boston–Mexico

Economy class

Miles price

15,000miles

+$80.6 fee

Dollars price

$531

3.0cpm

Excellent Value

Roundtrip Domestic

Chicago–Miami

Business class

Miles price

25,000miles

+$11.2 fee

Dollars price

$761

3.0cpm

Excellent Value

San Francisco–Maui

Business class

Miles price

67,000miles

+$11.2 fee

Dollars price

$1,591

2.34cpm

Excellent Value

Denver–Cleveland

Business class

Miles price

45,000miles

+$11.2 fee

Dollars price

$981

2.16cpm

Excellent Value

Roundtrip International

Fort Lauderdale–Sydney

Business class

Miles price

175,000miles

+$11.2 fee

Dollars price

$821

1.5cpm

Good Value

Miami–Lima

Business class

Miles price

35,000miles

+$11.2 fee

Dollars price

$3,495

9.95cpm

Excellent Value

Boston–Dublin

Business class

Miles price

57,500miles

+$11.2 fee

Dollars price

$6,291

10.92cpm

Excellent Value

Other ways you can redeem miles

Hotel Stays

30 partners30 part.

You can redeem AAdvantage miles for hotel stays, but it’s probably not the best use of your miles due to the
redemption rates. A quick search showed that a room at a Hilton property booked with miles gives you a value
ranging from 1.4 CPM to 1.7. Different locations and dates will, of course, yield different results.

It’s a nice option to have, though, if you happen to have some extra miles and are trying to save some cash.
American Airlines has 30 hotel partners, including Hilton, Marriott and InterContinental.

Note that AAdvantage credit card holders often get better rates. So be sure to log into your account before
booking a hotel stay through American’s website.

Car Rental

13 partners13 part.

American Airlines has 13 car rental partners, including Avis, Budget, Payless and more.
You’ll get about the same CPM booking a car rental with AAdvantage miles as you would for a hotel room.

The AAdvantage MasterCard does not offer a great earning scheme. In fact, it’s one of the weak points of the card.
You’ll get double miles per dollar spent on American Airlines purchases, at gas stations and restaurants, but just 1 mile per dollar for everything else.

While there are better cards for earning miles on everyday purchases, the AAdvantage card is still a good option if you
often fly on American and you want to maximize your miles with the carrier. If you aren’t dedicated to American, you may
want to consider a card with transferrable points that offers more bonus-earning categories of purchases. Many will give
you at least double points for all travel purchases, including airfare, plus bonuses for groceries, gas and more.

AAdvantage Credit Card Rewards

Your Monthly Charges

Rewards You Will Earn Annually

24,000miles$374in dollar value

Gas

2miles/$1

American Airline Purchases

2miles/$1

Restaurants

2miles/$1

All Other Purchases

1miles/$1

Travel Benefits

Free Checked Bag

First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to four companions.

Priority Boarding

Get on board American Airlines flights early and claim that overhead bin space before it fills up.

In-Flight Savings

Receive a 25 percent discount on eligible in-flight food and beverage purchases when you
use your AAdvantage credit card on American Airlines flights.

No Foreign Transaction Fee

Use your card abroad without incuring any fees..

Earn Elite Status Fast

The Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select World Elite MasterCard does not offer any elite status earning benefits.

Fees: the cost of Having Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ MasterCard®

This card’s annual fee is $99, waived for first 12 months.

If you make $6,090 in purchases a year, you’ll cover the cost of the card. That’s because
you’ll earn at least 6,090 miles which have a value of at least 1.56 cents each. If you
spend a little over $2,000 a month, you’ll pay off the card in 3 months.

Since the annual fee is waived for the first year, there is no need to worry about earning
enough miles to cover the cost until the second year of cardmembership.

Annual Fee

$99, waived for first 12 months

Balance Transfer Fee

3% of each balance transfer; $5 minimum.

Foreign Transaction Fee

0%

Late Payment Fee

Up to $39

How Much Do You Have to Spend to Cover the Annual Fee?

Your Average Monthly Spend

Months to Cover Annual Fee

4months

Recommendations

We strongly recommend to spend not less than
$2,116
per months to cover the annual fee in three months.

Does the Card Pay for Itself?

We’ve broken out our estimates for the first- and second-year net earnings you’ll get with the Citi® / AAdvantage®
Platinum Select® World Elite™ MasterCard®. Is the card worth getting, and should you keep it after you get the
sign-up bonus? Let’s find out.

These estimates are based on an annual monthly spend of $2,000

First Year

Signup Bonus

$780

Anniversary Bonus

$0

Everyday Rewards

$374

Statement Credit

$0

Free Bags

$50

Earnings

$1,204

Foreign Transaction Fees

-$0

APRS Charges

-$0

Annual Fee

-$0

Charges

-$0

Rewards Earned First Year

$1,204

Second Year

Signup Bonus

$0

Anniversary Bonus

$0

Everyday Rewards

$374

Statement Credit

$0

Free Bags

$50

Earnings

$424

Foreign Transaction Fees

-$0

APRS Charges

-$0

Annual Fee

-$99

Charges

-$99

Rewards Earned Second Year

$325

Top 5 Benefits of the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ MasterCard®

The AAdvantage Platinum card has a lot to offer anyone who flies on American Airlines with some regularity,
including free checked bags, a mileage refund on all redemptions and discounted award flights.

Good Sign-Up Bonus:
The standard 50,000-mile
sign-up bonus is worth at least $450 in flights and can easily get you a domestic round-trip ticket.

Free Checked Bag:
You and up to 5 people on your itinerary get a free checked bag. That’ll save you $50 per person per bag for a round-trip flight.

Earning Potential with Brand purchases:
Earn double miles for American Airlines purchases.

Access to Reduced Mileage Awards:
Book flights on select routes for up to a 7,500 miles discount. Featured destinations change often.

Waived Annual Fee for the First Year:
Try the card out for a year without paying a penny. The best part is that every mile you earn during that year,
including the sign-up bonus, is net profit for you.

Should You Get the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ MasterCard®?

If you fly American Airlines, the AA credit card can be a great value for the money. The sign-up bonus in conjunction
with the waived annual fee for the first year makes it a risk-free proposition. And 50,000
AAdvantage miles can take
you on a round-trip journey to any destination in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean or Central America.

Then there are the perks and benefits you’ll enjoy at no additional cost, such as free checked bags and reduced mileage awards. Even double miles for American Airlines purchases is a worthy benefit, considering
how hard it is to earn AAdvantage miles since the cheapest seats now earn only half the standard miles.

It’s safe to say that the card is worth trying out for at least for the first year. Then you can decide, based on your
own experience, whether you want to keep it for the second year and pay the annual fee.

FAQs

Need more info? Check out our frequently asked questions. If you have other questions, please click on “Ask Now” below.

If you already have an AAdvantage account number, include it in the credit
card application. There’s a place to enter it if you’re applying online.
If you don’t have an AAdvantage account, one will be created for you automatically
if you’re approved for the card. You’ll be sent the login information.

If you don’t meet the minimum spend, you won’t receive the bonus. As the sign-up
bonus is the most lucrative part of the card, it’s worth planning out your purchases
in advance to be sure you hit the $1,000 mark within three months. If you don’t think
you can do that, you should consider waiting to apply for the card.

It’s easy! The miles you earn with the AAdvantage Platinum card will automatically
appear in your account. After that, you can simply login on American’s website,
search for flights and select the option to pay with miles instead of cash. You
can also add a car rental and hotel to your trip and pay for everything with
AAdvantage miles.

Yes. You can search for flights on many of American’s partners through their
website. Just choose to pay with miles after finding the flight you want. If
the partner is not bookable online, you have to call American.

American is part of the oneworld alliance, which has 15 airline partners.
You can get anywhere in the world flying on oneworld members, which include
British Airways, Qantas, JAL, Cathay Pacific and more. American also has a
few non-alliance members, most notably Alaska Airlines.

You can redeem miles for flights on American Airlines and many of its partner
airlines online, but there are some airlines that must be booked by phone. Award
flights on the following airlines are bookable through American’s website:

The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select card and Barclays AAdvantage Aviator Red card are very similar.
Both are World Elite MasterCards, and both offer free checked bag for up to five passengers on the same
reservation. They also offer Group 1 priority boarding
and a 25 percent discount on in-flight purchases. The main difference between the two is that the
$99
annual fee is not waived for the first year with the Red Aviator card, and Aviator Card offers a 10 percent mile
refund for all redemptions. The Citi / AAdvantage Platinum Select
card also comes with 50,000 miles sign-up bonus.

The AAdvantage Gold card has a smaller,
25,000 miles bonus.
It also carries a smaller annual fee of $50,
which is also waived the first year. Unfortunately the benefits are lacking. It does not offer free checked
bags and it only earns 1 mile per dollar spent on American Airlines purchases.

The AAdvantage Executive card is a premium, benefits packed card with a very high
$450 annual fee. What you
get is a 50,000 miles sign-up bonus and Admiral Club lounge access. This card also extends the free checked
bag benefit to up to 8 people on an itinerary, and it gives you an option to earn 10,000 AAdvantage Elite
Qualifying Miles (EQMs). If you travel a lot and enjoy lounge access, or if you’re chasing elite status,
this card may be worth the cost.

There are many co-branded airline credit cards on the market. Since American Airlines is one of the largest
carriers in the world, we’ve compared the AAdvantage Platinum to cards offered by other major carriers,
including Delta, United and British Airways.

While British Airways is not a domestic carrier, it is a oneworld alliance member, and its Avios are very useful
for U.S. travelers.

50,000miles offer

Check if Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ MasterCard® is the best option for you

All these cards have a few things in common. They have decent sign-up bonuses, similar
perks and benefits (like free checked bags), and their miles can be used to book travel
on dozens of partner airlines, making them extremely valuable to cardholders.

While there are some similarities between the cards, there are differences, too. The American Airlines,
United and Delta cards waive the annual fee for the first year, but the British Airways card does not.
However, the British Airways card offers a much better earning rate at three Avios per dollar spent on
British Airways purchases. That compares to 2 miles per dollar for the other cards.

In terms of their frequent flyer programs, British Airways Executive Club is the only distance-based
program. That makes it ideal for short-haul redemptions, including flights on its partners American
Airlines and Alaska Airlines in the U.S. The biggest drawback of British Airways program is that it
adds huge fuel surcharges to many of its award flights, particularly long-haul routes. So it’s not
particularly good for international trips.

American, Delta and United all have comparable programs and large networks. All three are also part of
big airline alliances, which means you can get anywhere with miles in any of the programs. In the end,
the best card will probably be the one that offers miles with a program that you’ll use the most.

Card Overview

Whenever you apply for a credit card make sure you read the terms and conditions of the card and the rewards program to find out about minimum spend requirements and any restrictions to ensure you can successfully obtain the card and earn the rewards it offers.

Card Details

Excellent credit score

Issuer

Citibank

Use miles

Yes

Pay with points

No

Flight Features

Available airline

American Airlines

Loyalty Program

AAdvantage®

Flights Type

Domestic and International

Alliance

Oneworld

Travel Partners

Airlines

Yes

Hotels

Yes

Car Rental

Yes

Cruise

Yes

Card Terms and Conditions

While it's easy to focus on the rewards offered by the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ MasterCard®,
it's worth taking a closer look at the terms and conditions. There's a lot to consider as you think about how you're
going to use the card. Will you carry a balance, get a cash advance or maybe make a big purchase? Below is a rundown
of the various interest rates, purchase protections, security features and mobile banking options that come with the
MasterCard card.

Purchases

Intro APR:

N/A

Ongoing APR:

18.24% - 26.24%
(Variable)

Intro APR for balance transfers:

18.24% - 26.24%
(Variable)

Minimum Grace Period:

23 days

Extended Warranty Protection:

Extends the manufacturer’s warranty for an additional 24 months. You can be
confident that you’ll be protected when you make purchases with your Citi AA
card.

Purchase Protection:

Covers damaged or stolen items purchased with your Citi card for up to $10,000
per item and $50,000 per year. Good for 120 days (90 days for New York residents)
from the date of purchase.

Citi Price Rewind:

This price protection service searches hundreds of online retailers for lower
prices for registered items paid for with your Citi card. You’ll be refunded
the difference of up to $500 if a lower price is found without 60 days of the
purchase.

Return Protection:

If the merchant refuses to take back an item within 90 days of the purchase,
Citi will refund you the purchase price up to $500 per item and $2,500 per year.

Cash Advance Features

Ongoing APR:

27.49% (Variable)

Cash Advance Fee:

Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater

Security and Protections

The Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ MasterCard® includes all
of the latest security features, guaranteeing that your account will stay safe.